Stranger than Fiction
by Ruby Silverstone
Summary: She'd never paid much attention to the sword on her shrine. Not until something came out of it. AU.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Sooo...late Halloween present I suppose. I've been meaning to do a KagomeXInutaisho mini-story for a while now. DEFCON is giving me some serious writers block so to appease the masses and the plot bunnies, I might just start puking up stuff like this every once in a while. I don't know. Someone tell me how I'm doing on one-shots since I really don't do them.

Enjoy!

* * *

.

Stranger than Fiction

.

Kagome had never liked the shed that was behind the shrine.

Everything _else_ was perfect. The grounds were beautiful, the trees spread their strong arms to the sky and cast shifting, relaxing shadows over the worn cobblestone pathways and grass, the wind bending their branches and knocking loose a few more leaves. The air was full of the scent of Autumn and the world had exploded into a riotous color spectrum not unlike a pile of embers. Golds and reds abounded without number, and what grass remained was no longer green but the patchy, brittle brown of the coming cold.

Everything was earthy, and even the deep depths of the concrete jungle, so fraught with clean, unnatural lines and peerless technology was not unaffected. The many, many trees that lined streets, parks and paths were announcing their coming departure for the winter, and all around there were leaves. Hundreds of thousands of them, scattered to every corner of the city in a blanket of crisp, aromatic color. The creeping ivy had long ago lost its emerald tone, but the spidery fingers of life still clung to walls as a silent reminder of nature's perseverance. It would be back by spring.

The air was chilled pleasantly. Not too cold to excuse the need for a sweater, but not the unbearable summer heat that stuck your clothes to you as if _they_ were your skin. The sun, far off in the horizon and dipping behind the skyscrapers was slowly descending and throwing its fire across the sky. She could see the near nuclear pink highlighting the clouds, and just there, at the very edges of the puffy white, grey and blue, was a line of pure glittering gold. It was times like these, Kagome thought rather poetically, that only nature could make death seem so beautiful.

But that _shed._

Kagome extended the rake as far as it was go before tugging the dead leaves away from the shed wall. Maybe it was just her, but it seemed that the beauty of Fall was effectively sucked right out of the air around the small building. The sweet smell of decaying leaves seemed more sickly around this part of the shrine grounds, and the decay was more of a rot than anything else. The ivy that had always struck her as pretty was now sinister, slowly engulfing the rotting, creaky wood and threatening to choke any other plants that dared come near. Kagome shivered a little, readjusting her jacket before braving a few steps closer and getting a particular stubborn leave out of the muck surrounding the perimeter of the shed. The air was even colder around this place, too.

Her brother thought she was on crack. She couldn't really blame him but Souta always had a mind for logic and seemed thoroughly removed from the world around him. He thought she was crazy for talking about "auras" and "energies" and "dammit Souta can't you _feel_ that?" and insisted that everything was just her imagination. But she couldn't imagine gut instinct, and she couldn't imagine feeling paranoid. She was a little hesitant to wonder what _caused_ those feelings per se, after all she was still a twenty-first century woman and the age of superstition had come and gone. Everything had an explanation now, and far be it from her to run screaming through the shrine that there was a demon inhabiting the grounds.

That didn't mean that she didn't think _something_ was in there though. She had absently entertained the idea that there was a body buried under it, somehow. Of course, science argued that if that was true the thing would be full of life, not death, seeing as how corpses are rather morbid fertilizer. Still, the chill that surrounded the thing made her wary and think of ghosts.

Souta still thought she was nuts. Snorting, Kagome reluctantly skittered closer to the shed and cleaned out the leaves as quickly as she possibly could be for hopping away, like she was afraid the shed could make a hand and grab her or something. The mere thought, ridiculous as it was, made her shiver. Pulling the much more dead and disintegrating leaves towards her other pile, which had come mainly from the goshinboku tree and was nearly to her knees with big, golden leaves, Kagome sighed.

She wasn't sure how Souta was getting out of this particular chore, but she was once again roped into ground duty. She could only hope that mama was making him clean the mold out from under the sinks and in the grout of the tiles. She _hated_ mold, and this time of the year it was always so perfect for the nasty stuff to grow and cumulate and _ewww…._

Heaving a little, Kagome stood up straight and allowed her back to readjust to normal posture. Being hunched over a rake all afternoon had made it hurt and finally she was finished. Dropping the rake she grabbed a big black plastic bag and started to heartily shove the leaves into them. If it were up to her she'd just burn the pile—the smell was amazing—but with all the wood around it was a hazard so she had to put up with the boring way like so many other citizens.

Twenty minutes later her chore was complete and she had two absolutely stuffed garbage sacks to haul to the garbage. She did so easily and then walked to her house. The Higurashi family was pretty religious about cleaning so it was rare when they really needed to dive in and deep clean, and those instances were usually announced at random by mama. This was once such instance, and the kids were getting the brunt of it. With grandpa exempt from all but the smallest of chores, and mama busy keeping up with finances and dinner, it had fallen to Kagome and her brother to tackle the shrine.

Kagome had been on a round-robin of tasks since late morning, from trimming the bushes to reorganizing the dish cabinet. With the sun setting behind her, she was confident that the raking of the leaves was the last chore that she would be subjected to today. Mama was wary of working out in the dark, and after the sun set it was a general rule that all energy went with it. Most everyone ended up asleep. So with that comforting though in her mind, she waltzed in through the front door and into the kitchen, set on accepting dinner as her reward.

"Oh Kagome, there you are. Are you finished with the yard?"

"Yep? Are those leeks?"

"Oh, yes, yes they are. Listen, once last thing." Kagome gave her a look that resembled a kicked puppy, but the woman didn't seem to notice. "Grandpa was talking about some sort of old sword he'd stuffed somewhere in the shed. He really wants it for some reason, but he's far too old to be going around on ladders nowadays. Would you go get it? He said it was on the top shelf."

Kagome tried not to let her discomfort show. Of _course_ it would be in the shed. Why, oh why, couldn't grandpa ever store any of his so-called preserved demons, spiritual talismans, and other ancient and dusty paraphernalia in some place _other_ than the shed? They had a spare room upstairs, and although mama was slowly taking it over with a collection of old paintings and outgrown toys from her children's pasts, there was enough room for some other stuff.

Frowning, Kagome turned and made her way back outside. The sun was nearly set by now, but there was still a good deal of light to guide herself by, even in the shed. Grabbing the ends of her jacket and zipping up the material, she shoved her hands into the pockets. It was seriously starting to get cold now that the sun wasn't heating the ground like it had at noon. Shuffling in a sort of half run half walk kind of way, Kagome made it over to the wooden building, and determined not to be intimidated by the thing, didn't even pause before she yanked open the door and going inside.

She left the door open to give her light and carefully scrutinized her surroundings. There was another reason for her wariness when it came to the place, and why she was so convinced that at least a ghost was here. Peering into the darkness, she gingerly stepped on the wood floor and heard it creak. Her eyes were split between focusing on what was above, and what was by her feet, ready for attack.

Without fail, every time she came into this place she came out with a new bump or bruise. Whether something fell on her from one of the shelves, or she stubbed her toe or the wooden floor gave way, _something_ bad happened to her. Predictably, she couldn't keep her eyes watching out for misfortune and finding the sword her grandfather was talking about at the same time, so after one more scan that assured her eyes that there was _nothing_ that was close to falling off one of the shelves, she let herself relax a little.

She knew what sword grandpa was talking about. It was an old, dusty thing that was wrapped up in paper and had so many charms stuck to its outside that it could pass as some sort of bumper sticker magnet. She didn't know how it had fallen in to their possession, and she had never bothered to ask. But it was there since before she was born, and every single time she came into the shed it was always the first thing her eyes were drawn to.

It rested on the far wall, left, on the very top shelf. Kagome snagged the step ladder as she made her way deeper in the dark shed. I was a creaky, old structure and it smelt of wet wood most times of the year, though she couldn't for the life of her understand why, especially in the summer. Needless to say, even though it was solid, Kagome still watched her step.

Lucky for her the step ladder was very much metal, and she unfolded it with a satisfying _clank,_ stomping up its four steps easily and reaching on her very tip toes for the weapon in its place of honor. The sword itself wasn't kept on a stand, but rather in a case, and Kagome was grateful that the wooden rectangle had smooth edges. She hated getting splinters.

"Alright grandpa," she sighed, tromping down the steps and leaving the stool there. She'd probably have to return the sword later tonight, before bed, so she left it out and headed for the door, the sword clutched to her chest. At least she didn't get hurt coming in this time. "Let's see what you've cooked up this time."

On her way out her foot snagged on a protruding _something_ in the dark and she went crashing painfully to her knees.

" _Dammit!_ "

XXX

"And there, in the _sky_ was a demon and he had _that_ sword!" grandpa was saying, pointing dramatically to Kagome as soon as she rounded the hall corner and emerged into the dining room. "And he sliced it and lighting burst out and destroyed _everything!_ "

"What then?" Souta said with mild interest. Enjoying the story but obviously not considering a single word seriously. "W-well," grandpa faltered, coming out of his exuberant pose at the dry tone of his grandson's voice. "I woke up, that's what happened then."

"Another vision, grandpa?" Kagome was careful to keep her voice even, but her tone still dipped meaningfully on her second word. As much as she loved her grandpa, he was deeply steeped in tradition and loved the shrine as much as his own life. He often brought fantastical stories to the breakfast table, claiming his dreams were not dreams but actual visions of the past that the world has forgotten. "It shot _lightning!_ " He was insisting, trying to gain a reaction out of the kids. "And so did that dragon," Souta pouted, more interested in dinner. Kagome came more fully into the room. "And the water-horse."

"And that weird tree that ate people."

"And—"

"It's not my fault that demons liked lightning! It was a powerful weapon to tame! Hmph!"

"What are you planning on doing with it, anyways?" Kagome asked curiously. Grandpa always had something he was going to do with his artifacts, whether it was a practical demonstration in banishing evil spirits or…actually that was pretty much it. "I have reason to believe that there is a demon trapped within the blade," Grandpa said seriously, accepting his offering of rice from mama gratefully. His tone was serious, as he so often was, and he stared thoughtfully at the sword. "Seems right up your alley, sis," Souta commented, elbowing Kagome as she sat the sword down on the floor before joining her family at the table. "What with all the spooky stuff happening at the shed." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she swatted at him. "Shut up, twerp."

"Hm? Something's happened at the shed, Kagome?"

"Oh, yes," Souta answered for her. "Kagome says that there is an _aura_ of some kind around it. Sounds awfully like a demon to me." He shrugged innocently and Kagome glared at him. "I was thinking more along the lines of somebody being murdered in there, to be honest."

"You feel energies from the shed? What are they like?" Kagome wasn't so sure, but grandpa seemed to be a little more intent on her answer than normal. She waved him away. "It's nothing grandpa. It just sort of freaks me out. Cobwebs and all."

"So what _are_ you going to do with it?" Souta saved her from a second longer of grandpas strangely piercing gaze. She shot him a quizzical look when he wasn't looking, and searched for her mother's eyes. Mama seemed to have noticed grandpa's uncharacteristic intensity as well, and could only raise an eyebrow at the behavior. Giving a helpless shrug, Kagome turned back to the conversation.

Grandpa stroked his beard thoughtfully. "For the past week I've been receiving visions from what I believe to be a spirit locked inside the blade. The visions are not…" for a moment he seemed at a loss for words. "They are deliberate. I see a great battle, a great light, and then the inside of the shed as if I were placed on the top shelf, right where the sword was. There is a demon in that sword, I swear it!"

"So…you're going to let it…out?"

"Of course, Souta!" Grandpa seemed like he couldn't comprehend another way to handle the situation, and went back to stroking his beard. "Nothing so magnificent as a demon should be cooped up in an inanimate object. A sword is a fine cage, but a cage nonetheless."

Kagome frowned. "You know, you always said that demons were sinister beings that wouldn't hesitate to eat me as a kid. Wouldn't letting one out sort of be like shooting ourselves in the foot here?"

"Ah, most demons are. But I can tell that this one is _different._ Besides, he'll be grateful for letting him out and won't hurt us. The generosity of a freed demon…can you imagine all the knowledge we could have?"

It was clear at grandpa's starry-eyed expression that it was the idea of being able to actually talk to a demon that excited him. "But!" the old man shouted, upsetting his dinner just shy of toppling it all over with his careless movements. "We must _all_ participate so that the demon cannot harm us if he tries. I will not be outwitted!"

Kagome shot a pleading look to her mother, hoping that she could reason with her exuberant father. Releasing demons from swords was all well and good, but she had homework upstairs and if she failed one more test she was going to have to attend remedial classes. The thought of spending even _more_ time in school—or worse, getting a private student tutor—was a fine motivator to buckle herself in for equations and explanations she didn't understand.

Alas all her mother did was shrug helplessly and smile a warm, indulgent little smile while she whisked away the rest of the dinner dishes.

"Souta, come here. I want you to help me set up the circle."

"You're not going to paint the floor with chalk are you?" Mama asked, her eyes narrowing a little in warning. Grandpa flapped his hand. "No, no, dear. You make a circle out of anything. Sticks, stems, candle-wax," he pulled a book from a nearby shelf and wiggled it meaningfully. "Books. Kagome get over here. You're going to help too."

Satisfied that her floor wasn't going to be ruined just after she'd cleaned it, mama ushered Kagome towards the boys. "It'll just be for a moment, Kagome. Just play along."

" _Fine._ "

So Kagome got up from the kitchen chair and walked over to the living room. The floor was hardwood, but it was mostly covered by a beige rug. She kneeled to the floor, frowning a little and rubbing her knees where she was sure a bruise was forming from her fall earlier. Stifling a sigh she helped her grandpa and brother arrange the books in a circle.

"We aren't doing a pentagram?" she asked after a moment, regretfully curious. Grandpa waved away her question. "Pentagram, bah! Circles are stronger!"

"Why's that?" Souta looked a little puzzled as he handed yet another stack from the bookshelf to be distributed. Grandpa accepted them and cheerfully passed them all on to Kagome. "Circles have no beginning, or end. They are solid, endless, and containing. What else would be used to contain power? No, no Kagome. Stagger the books, so we don't have any cracks. Wouldn't want the demon escaping right away now would we?"

"I thought you said it wasn't going to hurt us."

"It won't! But…" Grandpa looked a little smug. "I am no fool."

"Well then let me help," Mama entered at last, the dishes humming away in the dishwasher as she sank to the floor and went about turning Kagome's rough oval into a near perfect circle. "Now, Souta I want you to sit here. Keiko across from me, and Kagome will be at the head of the circle."

"Why does _she_ get to be at the head?"

"Because she has the most spiritual abilities of us all, that's why. Maybe if you'd accepted my training to become a priest _you'd_ be at the head."

Souta made a face but settled down anyways, watching intently as grandpa's old hands started to peel away all the protective charms plastered to the wood of the sword case and then face it towards her.

Kagome watched him, crossing her legs and propping her cheek on her fist, and thought this was all quite silly. Sure she felt that the shed was creepy, and yes she found that the fact she apparently couldn't escape bodily harm whenever she went in odd. She was naturally a bit clumsy but not _that_ much of a klutz, and while the sword _did_ have a sense of reverence about it (it was centuries old for heaven's sake) it wasn't like it felt _evil_ or something else demonic. Snorting, she shifted position and leaned back on her hands. Yeah, whatever demonic aura felt like; she sure as hell didn't know.

Honestly she didn't even understand where this idea that she was spiritually endowed came from. It seemed to her that grandpa just woke up one morning and decided that that was how it should be and it was. She was all for the fact that living creatures had energy and that those energies could affect other people—she was a spiritual person. She was on a _shrine_ —but this whole business of being able to purify and whatnot was a bit much.

So she was completely content to sit back and play devil's advocate. If not to avenge her lost time that she could have spent doing homework, then for the fact that she was tired and very much ready to be done with this all.

"Are you ready, Kagome?"

"Have you considered what we'll be doing with the demon once we get it out?" She asked. She didn't actually think something was going to happen, but her grandpa did so she was aiming from his angle. "Would we just re-seal it or—"

"Absolutely not! He doesn't deserve to be in there, and should be free once more."

"It could be a _she._ " Grandpa ignored her and continued talking. "And besides, it would probably just wander off."

"Wander off. Just like that? No haunting, no possession, no death or curses?"

"Of course," the old man waved a hand casually. "They always wander off. Or so the stories go."

 _Great,_ Kagome thought. _Let's rely on age old stories passed down orally from superstitious ancestors that could be dramatized, altered, and shifted from century's worth of playing the game of telephone. Just great._

Of course, it's not like she was going to have to worry much. As Souta was properly demonstrating with his expression, it's not like this was actually going to work.

"Now sit up girl, and repeat after me. You're going to lead the chant."

Kagome sat up straighter and scraped back her hair. Whatever. She mine as well make the best of this experience. She could just view it as family bonding time. As funny as it was, it was much more entertaining that the thick textbooks mocking her from her desk upstairs. Scooting closer the circle of books she dutifully looked up and quickly memorized the little chant that she was going to do, adding claps and hand motions when necessary.

When they all had a good grasp what they were going to do they settled in more firmly and Kagome began the chant with three loud claps of her hands.

 _"_ _Ox, Ox, Monkey, Boar. The white lotus blooms."_

Kagome stretched out her left arm and gestured towards her mother, who stretched out her right at the same time, their fingers touched before both Kagome and her mom clapped three more times. This time, when Kagome continued the chant Keiko's voice was added to hers.

 _"_ _Tiger, Tiger, Snake, Dragon. The sun rises in the east."_

Her mom repeated Kagome's gesture, extending her left arm to meet Souta's right. The three of them clapped together before reciting the third line of the chant they'd just learned.

 _"_ _Rat, Rat, Sheep, Horse. The sakura blossoms fall."_

Souta met grandpa's outstretched arm, and now they all clapped three times, the combining of their voices a powerful swell compared to Kagome's lonely first line.

 _"_ _Dog, Dog, Rooster, Rabbit. The winter snow melts."_

They all clapped three more times. Souta, mama, and grandpa all held their hands together, palms inwards in a prayer position after the last clap. Kagome stretched her hands out towards the sword. The top had been opened so that the blade, still sheathed, was easily visible as it nestled in its velvet container. Taking a breath, Kagome had a momentary burst of interest and made the conscious decision to channel her…powers? Focus? Whatever it was down her arms, into her hands, and out towards the sword. She figured she'd humor herself, pretend for a second she had the force, if only to say that she'd tried.

"I release you."

They waited for a second. Kagome held her breath, half expecting lighting or thunder or some sort of terrific noise that would scare her senseless. But…nothing happened. The light was still very much on, the power hadn't been shorted out, they were all still settled around a circle of books, and the dishwasher was still going. Kagome lowered her hands to her lap with a limp plop.

It hadn't worked. Obviously.

"Well," she said, completely unfazed by the lack of reaction. "I've got some homework that I have to do."

Grandpa sputtered at her disregard for the failure of their unsealing, but she only got to her feet as he bent forward towards the sword. "Was there a charm still on the case? That could have nullified the spell." He was stroking his beard, looking fiercely at the case in front of him like it was going to grow a mouth and tell him. Kagome patted his shoulder as she stepped into the circle. "I'll take this back grandpa, before it gets too dark."

"Wait, wait. Take it out first."

"Why?"

"I may have stuck a charm under the stuffing, just in case someone else might have tried this. Just let me see."

Muffling a sigh, and idly realizing how heavy her eyelids had suddenly gotten, she just did as she was told. The scabbard was cool to the touch, a mix of wood with metal inlay for decorative purposes. Lifting it from its case, she took advantage of the moment to truly take in the weapon. She'd never actually seen it before, despite being within easy reach for the entirety of her life, and she was surprised by how beautiful it was.

The craftsmanship was impressive. The _saya_ was of high quality wood, sanded down to a finish and lacquered to prevent rot or decay. She was surprised by its light color. Most scabbards had been painted darker, or even red. She didn't think she'd ever seen one quite as bright as this one. The wood was a near white that reminded her of marble. The inlay was silver and sparse, and she was surprised by the length of the blade itself. It was…unusually long, almost like a European broadsword rather than the sleek, relatively short katana blades that she thought it originally was.

The blade guard was modest, but the hilt was quite exotic by Japanese standards. There was no trace of the diamond shaped wraps that wound around the blade of a traditional sword. Instead what met her sights was smooth metal, two prongs that sat close together and eventually split to accommodate a rather large crystal. It was a light pinkish in color. _Rose quartz?_ She thought a little baffled. Why would someone put polished quartz into a blade? It seemed entirely unnecessary. Looking down the length of the scabbard once more she wondered if it were possibly made for a woman? The blade was quite slim, and light.

Curious, she took a hold of the hilt, the sounds of her grandpas speculations drowned out as she focused on her task. The metal was cold under hand, and quite slippery. Tightening her grip she pulled.

The sword clicked a little as it moved once more.

There was a hiss of metal.

And her world exploded in light.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome thought about screaming. She was positive that at this distance, at this range, and at the decibel she could force her voice to if the need arose she could pop his eardrums. He wouldn't know what hit him.

 _He_ being the distinctly _not-human_ man that was laying quite comfortably between her legs, his forearms braced on either side of her shoulders, and his bare chest nary an inch from her own. They were both breathing pretty heavily. It was a strange thought to have but suddenly all Kagome could think about (besides the fact that there was something _not human hovering over her and oh shit they just released an honest to god demon from a sword_ ) was that this looked distinctly like a porno in the making.

Hence the need to scream.

But a good portion of her grey matter was on lockdown from the shock, her frontal lobes practically bypassed so that the more primitive side could come out to play, and instead of thinking logically under the sudden stress of the moment the only two things that seemed to be registering were that the dishwasher was still going, and that he was pretty.

And since her mind was _still_ malfunctioning, the only thing it could do was develop those thoughts further, starting with the most glaringly obvious fact. He was _pretty_. His hair was silver—not white or something slightly shiny— _actual_ silver that was so long it was spilling from around his broad shoulders and falling in her face. It was like someone had taken bars of the good all Ag, pushed them through tubes to make spider-silk wires and plastered them onto his head. And hell that was just in her peripheral vision! The focal point was his eyes, and just like his impossibly metallic hair he had impossibly metallic eyes. Gold this time. Glittering and shining in the way that sun reflected off of jewelry. Blue jagged stripes were on his sharp cheekbones, and they didn't look like face paint, more like tribal tattoos or something.

How…colorful.

The dishwater went through a grinding spasm, sort of sounding like a dying animal if an animal were made of metal, or like two machine parts rubbing where they shouldn't, that meant to Kagome that it was changing cycles. She didn't move when the sound registered since it was so familiar, but…it?..He?..The…were demons animals or something else?...The _creature_ reacted rather violently.

Kagome yelped when she was _yanked_ up to his chest, his (very)big hand splayed across her back while the other one went to her thigh, sliding it firmly over his hip. He leaned back, and now she was straddling him with her face smashed into his neck. The sword she just now realized she was still holding was the only thing separating total contact between the two of them, and it was pressing against her breasts rather painfully.

 _Molestation!_ She thought. And that was all it took to flip the switch and turn the lights back on in her head. In fact, she went into hyperdrive.

With a banshee shriek she went wild, flailing away from him and scrambling to her feet. "Get away from me!"

"Kagome!"

"No, Souta!"

He was probably pretty stunned that she had reacted so violently, seeing as how she'd been practically limp in his arms two nanoseconds before, so he let her go. She tripped over the haphazard books that had flown everywhere as soon as the flash ended, but she didn't mind kicking them away. The circle was beyond a hope anyway, he was already partially out of it.

As soon as she had her feet under her, she pulled the sword the rest of the way out of the sheath, dropped the heavy wood, and pointed the blade directly at him. _"Don't move!_ "

Did she know how to use a sword? Hell no. Would she actually cut him? The mere thought was sending her trembling. But even if the sword was two heavy with two hands on it, _like hell_ she was letting it go.

And then it started glowing and she had to seriously reevaluate that statement because if it was going to go all glow-y and demon-y on her then she was tossing it out the window.

The man _snarled._ "NO!"

 _"_ _Kagome!_ "

"Demon be gone! Hyaa!"

But her grandpa was too late with his flimsy talisman, and suddenly the demon was in her face. His hand—oh _shit_ his hand was big—was on both her wrists, tightening to a near painful degree and at once forcing the blade down and to the side. Terror streaked through her like lightening, electrifying every nerve ending. She could feel the scrape of actual claws on her face as he gripped her chin. _This is it,_ she thought tearfully. _He's going to rip out my throat!_

His head lowered, hellfire in his eyes, and his mouth opened. Kagome's fear tripled. _And he's going to do it with his_ _teeth_ _!_

"N—mph!"

.

.

.

Silence.

The dishwasher made another grinding noise but this time they all ignored it.

"Is…why is he _kissing_ her?"

"What…?"

 _Oh…_ Kagome thought.

"No! Stay away Souta! He's possessing her!"

 _…_ _my god._

His lips were warm and firm, chapped slightly and very much pressed against her own. Kagome was sure her eyes were going to pop right out her head, and she wasn't the only one. _He_ had his open too, but they were far from being surprised. The calculation she saw in there threw her off more than she already was, and as it shifted to cautious hope she began to wonder if it was safe to believe she'd get out of this alive after all. She tried to move her head away, but his grip was firm and completely unyielding, even tightening when she tried to tug away. Those unnerving gold eyes narrowed in reprimand, and for a second Kagome was practically paralyzed by the intensity of them.

And then she got angry. It was a default emotion for her whenever she was confronted with something she didn't get or was too afraid to dig her fingers into. Her wonderfully functional, often praised, _logical_ mind had taken a holiday, and all that was left was fight or flight in a situation where she couldn't run.

A spike of rage swept away any other thought and with a completely cognizant and intentional movement, she opened her lips, pulled them back, and bit down on the flesh that spilled between her teeth. _Hard._

He let her go with a surprised intake of air, ripping away from her wide-eyed and startled. She watched his lower lip go pink from the abuse with hellish satisfaction before she opened her mouth. "Let me _go,_ you sick arrogant _dog!_ "

How _dare_ he molest her like that! She thought she was going to die, dammit! At least it had a partial effect. He didn't release her wrists, but his other hand removed itself from her face to touch his own. She watched his claws skim over the wound, a small trickle of blood staining his lower lip before he licked it away. Watching the combination of claw and fang while she focused on the movement took the wind out of her sails though, and she finally realized what she had done.

Fury abandoned her as she realized that she had just _bit_ a demon. Oh, he was going to kill her now—for sure this time.

"You bit me."

Stepping back to gain some space, even though she was still quite firmly tethered to him by her hands, she summoned up what was left of her dwindling bluster. "And you _kissed me_."

"Aha! There's my granddaughter! Show you to mess with the Higurashi priestess, demon!"

" _Father!_ "

Kagome was about to join in with her mom, tell her overly enthusiastic grandfather—who was _way_ too chill with the situation at the moment—to stop antagonizing the demon and making it believe she was powerful. She didn't want a duel to the death with this thing! But before she could do that the demon caught her attention again because he _smiled._

His gold eyes tilted up at the corners, something like victory dancing through them. His smile was devilish, more of a smirk full of teeth than an actual grin, and Kagome froze like a scared rabbit. He looked for the world like the cat who had gotten the canary, and Kagome felt it was a horrible moment to distantly remember that her name meant 'caged bird' and draw parallels.

His eyes narrowed in supreme pleasure, and before she knew it he had bent her wrists a certain way that made her drop the blade. It clattered to the floor, and when she tried to back away from him, he just tugged her forward with enough force to make her stumble.

Both his hands went up to clamp on either side of her head as she collided with his naked chest, her arms winding around his torso in an act to save her balance _._ And then he was kissing her again.

This was not the clinical kiss they shared before. That was a mere press of the lips against each other. Both their eyes had been open, which was frankly _weird,_ and there was absolutely nothing romantic about it. It was just done for a…for a _purpose_ or something, like he was trying to throw her off or shut her up. This was not like that kiss. _This_ kiss was a genuine rape of the mouth.

Lips. Tongue. Teeth. The whole she-bang. She'd frenched before but nothing like this outright assault. She could barely breathe through her nose he was so close, and with his large hands holding her the most she could do was to take her hands off of him like he was hot coals and weakly attempt to pull away. His eyes had closed, and he was so close that she was forced to shut her own tight so that his eyelashes didn't stab her. He did something with his tongue then, pushing her own aside and using his tip to scrape the roof of her mouth. She'd never known that that part of her mouth was sensitive, and she made a soft screech in the very back of her throat that she hoped he would take as 'stop'.

 _Why_ was he kissing her?

Then he stopped, making her eyes shoot open in relief just long enough to catch his mischievous gaze. Barely pausing he dipped back down and rolled her bottom lip between his teeth. Kagome had the faint impression that he was going to bite it _off_ in an act of revenge _,_ but all he did was gently nibble it. It was no more than a slight sting that he soothed with a lave of his tongue.

And he was gone. Kagome was literally left stumbling as her support quite suddenly vanished. Her chest heaving (she hadn't been able to _breathe!_ ) she was suddenly confronted with the shocked faces of her family. Her grandpa was posed to throw at least twenty paper charms, her mom had grabbed the heaviest book she could find, and Souta had somehow acquired a broom. The circle of books that they had made was completely obliterated, and the rug had shifted with all the activity that was happening on top of it.

But that didn't bother her so much as the fact that something _else_ was missing, sheath and all.

"He took the sword!"

.

* * *

A/N: You know, I tried to make this a simple two shot, but I think its going to end up a three-shot after all. Darn it. I was really hoping to keep it from expanding. Oh well, hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. People seemed to like it so that made me happy. :) Bit shorter than usual but hey, its something.

And if you haven't guessed already, yes, the sword is muy, muy, importante.

Review Please!

-Ruby


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: God...Freakin!...Dammit! I can't take it! Another chapter without finishing the story. WHY. WHY do I struggle with this! It was meant to be a three-shot. A three shot! And now its going to have four chapters! GAh!

Anyways. Please enjoy. Review. Whatever.

Feast my precious hoard.

* * *

.

.

"Um…do you think we should go talk to her?"

"…Yeah…she's kind of…"

"I don't know. Maybe she wants her space?"

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi all looked at each other. Kagome had been acting weird the entire week. She'd zone out in class way more than usual, jump and scream at the slightest noise, and whenever they walked from or to school she'd constantly look over her shoulder. It was _weird._

"You don't think she's gotten involved with someone, do you? Like, a _bad_ sort of someone?"

"No…she's too smart for that."

"But if her little brother was the one that got involved? She could be sacrificing herself."

"That does sound like something she'd do."

They all looked at her just in time to see her plop her head down on her desk hopelessly and groan. Her bento and chopsticks clattered from the impact.

"That's it. I'm going over there."

"Yuka! Wait!"

"She's right, Ayumi. We need to talk to her."

"Ohh...fine."

They approached their friend with little caution, weaving between the desks and chatting students to reach the solitary girl. She still hadn't raised her head from her desk, but as the collective shadows of her three friends moved over her, Kagome deigned to raise her gaze. At the sight of their determined expressions, she mustered up a nervous smile.

"Hey, guys."

Yuka and Eri snagged the nearby desk, sharing the tabletop as a seat while Ayumi crouched down next to Kagome. Yuka poked the depressed girl in the forehead. "Ow!"

"Spill. You've been moping this entire week and it's obvious that whatever it is it's eating you alive."

"Is it a gang?"

" _No._ "

"You're grandpa's gambled away all your money?"

"Grandpa doesn't even—"

"Souta burned your textbooks?"

"He's not _that_ much of a—Look its nothing like _that._ " Kagome pulled herself into sitting position and then slumped back into her seat. A hand to her forehead, she mumbled, "This is all _his_ fault."

Truly, it wasn't meant to be heard by others. Kagome had just gotten used to muttering to herself over the years—it was something she did. And normally she could control the volume. Normally, she didn't have three worried friends tuned into her every little move. _Normally,_ they weren't so quick on the uptake, even though it was the wrong conclusion.

Ayumi gasped. "You're mama is forcing you to an _omiai!"_

Their collective shrieks of disbelieve drew almost all the eyes of the classroom. Kagome's mouth dropped open in horror, stunned.

"They _wouldn't_ would they, Kagome?"

"It's totally possible! She lives on a shrine and her grandfather is _suuuppper_ traditional!"

"No. Guys it's not—"

"But _who_ would they choose? Another shrine family?"

"That couldn't be that bad, unless he was a complete jerk."

"Look, I'm not in an—"

"Maybe they're super traditional too, and think that Kagome's just a baby-maker."

"Would you guys just _listen_ to me?"

"What if she doesn't have a _choice?_ "

"It's possible."

"But her grandpa is so loving! He wouldn't do that would he?"

"I can't imagine that her mom would allow it."

"But her mom had an arranged marriage too."

Kagome abruptly stood from her desk, her chair screeching backwards. "Would you guys just _stop!_ "

It was quiet for a moment, just long enough for Kagome to realize how disruptive her outburst had been. She quietly lowered herself back to her seat, blushing. "I'm not going to an _omiai_ guys, so you can stop worrying."

Normalcy restored, the rest of the classroom went back to their lunch. Kagome's three friends leaned closer to her, more subdued than the hysteria that was occurring before. "If it's not any of those, then what is it? You've been acting _weird._ "

"Jumping at every little noise, looking over your shoulder, you haven't even been sleeping right for heaven's sake!"

Kagome self-consciously rubbed at the bags under her eyes in response, idly toying with her chopsticks and the rice in her bento. Sighing a little, she gave a small smile and pushed the hair out of her face. "It's stupid, guys."

" _What's_ stupid?"

"I…I've just been having really bad dreams is all."

At their blank looks, Kagome took a deep breath. "It's silly, I know, but these dreams are pretty vivid."

"Nightmares?"

"Yeah. Bad ones."

"What happens?"

"I'm just…being followed."

"Like a stalker?" Ayumi whispered. Kagome nodded her head. "In the dream, I'm walking home from school and someone is following me. I don't know who they are, I actually haven't even _seen_ them before, but I just know that they're going to do something bad to me."

"What happens?"

"I walk all the way home, and along the way I see these shadows in the corner of my eyes. For some reason I can never actually run. It's like I'm too scared and stiff to get my body to work right. It's like one of those horror films where every little thing goes wrong. I trip going up the shrine steps, my bag comes undone and I have to stop and pick everything up, and when I finally get to my door it's locked and I can't find the key."

At her friend's disturbed expressions, Kagome knew that she was doing a good job at telling the story.

"So _that's_ why you've been so jumpy lately."

"And why you can't sleep either."

"Oh, _Kagome._ "

"That _does_ sound like a nightmare."

Kagome could only nod her head and try to swallow her guilt.

* * *

.

She hadn't been totally honest with her friends. But that didn't mean she wasn't really lying either.

Kagome was living a nightmare. The whole dream story hadn't been completely fake in the sense that she _did_ feel like she was being followed. Every day, every morning and evening, it felt like the demon was only two steps behind. She wasn't sure whether or not it was simply paranoia or the guy himself, but the idea that he was actually there was chilling. She'd been on the lookout for silver (it would be kinda hard to hide that river of hair) and every time she saw even a moderate amount of it her heart stopped working.

She didn't quite know what to think about the entire experience. On the one hand, her brain kept pulling every horrible, grotesque story that her grandpa had ever used to scare her silly and applying it to herself. And on the other…well she couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't just killed her then. Why not just kill them all before leaving? And why had he looked so damn _pleased_ with himself after he had kissed her? Kagome didn't think that being cooped up in a sword since who knows how long had deprived him of sex to the point that he'd condone to kissing a total stranger. There had been a deeper meaning behind that entire debacle. She just knew it.

And why take the sword anyhow? She hadn't heard any sort of massacre happening so she almost felt safe in saying he wasn't going on a slaughtering rampage. And why would he even _want_ the sword? _She'd_ want to get rid of that damn thing. If she'd been kept prisoner by an object of all things, the last thing she'd want to do was lug it around with her wherever she went.

Kagome near leapt straight out of her skin as a fellow schoolmate passed her on a bike, the glimmer of his silver bicycle sending her heart into palpitations. She barely resisted the urge to scream, and only let out her breath when her hair had settled back into place. "…Geeze." At this rate, she was going to die of a heart attack instead of a demon.

Mentally shaking herself, she readjusted her backpack and upped her pace.

It had been nearly an entire week since The Fiasco. Her family was taking it well. Sorta. Grandpa had taken to muttering prayers at the top of each hour, plastering paper charms and sutras on every window, door, and bed in the house. His traditional priest robes were imbued with spiritual powers, and he was constantly carrying around a supposed hundred year old arrow that would reduce demons to dust if it so much has grazed their skin.

Kagome's mother had succumbed to the hysteria that was hovering over the Higurashi household. Every doorway was wreathed in foul smelling herbs, and the kitchen stank of some sort of pungent mixture. She'd taken to smearing some gross kind of paste on the insides of her wrists, and every time Kagome wandered within arm's length her mother sought to force the mixture upon her. Both her mother and her grandfather were particularly worried that the demon was after her virginity for some reason, and so every time Kagome left the house she did so with a charmed necklace that she tucked under her blouse. She wasn't too convinced that an ugly rock with dried clay around it was going to do anything, but she wore it anyway.

On the off-chance that he actually _would_ be interested in something like that, she'd take any form of protection she could.

Souta…Souta was just a kid. He was half terrified and half awed that something this exciting was actually happening to him. Either he was playing at hero and convinced that he should carry around the ceremonial dagger that her mother kept, or he was waking up from nightmares and hiding under the covers. It was a sad state to see him in, and honestly the bags under his eyes were worrying her.

The stress of the entire event was getting to them all. Kagome couldn't remember the last time any of them were this high strung. She didn't know how much longer they could take the constant buzz of anxiety before one of them snapped. They had lost sleep—drastically—and their stress levels had all tripled. Kagome felt that it was only a matter of time before one of them cracked under the pressure.

And two weeks later…she was completely right.

* * *

.

"…um…mama?"

The Higurashi matriarch tightened her grip on the paring knife in her hand, her knuckles standing out in sharp relief against the supple leather of the handle. Her gaze was that of utter rage, focused like a laser on the vegetable laid out on the cutting board and boring holes into the greenery. Kagome paused in her washing of the lettuce, flitting her gaze hesitantly between her mother's incensed expression and knife subtly trembling in her hand.

"…Mama?"

"How…" she said softly.

"Mama are you feeling alr-"

" _How DARE_ _HE_ _?"_

Kagome jumped, so startled by her demure mothers snarled outburst that she dropped the lettuce and spattered water all over herself. Keiko Higurashi slammed the knife against her cutting board, point down. "That _monster!_ Look at what he's done to my family—to my children!"

She tore off her apron, snapping it over the back of a chair before going over to the doorway and ripping off all the dried herbs. They came away in papery confetti. Kagome's grandpa gasped and shot to his feet attempting to keep everything where it was supposed to be. "Keiko! You mustn't! The protections are the only thing standing between the demon and ourselves—"

"To hell with it!" Keiko grabbed a garbage sack and snapped the plastic open, tearing paper charms off of her walls and snagging hanging herbs tied to various parts of the room. "He can come to _me._ " She seethed, her neat appearance now turned wild and untamed. "And come hell or high water I will _run him out of my home!_ He will _not_ threaten my children. _He will NOT!_ "

For the first time Kagome felt that she truly grasped the principle behind motherly instincts. This…this was _mama bear._

"I'm not going to sit here and cower under _plants_ and _paper_ and hope that they actually end up working. If he comes running into this home then he'll be running straight into my knife!"

Kagome had never heard such graphic threats from her mother. Stunned, the only thing she could do was attempt to calm her down. "Mama…"

"Hush!" Keiko snapped back. "Move." And then she practically pushed Kagome out of the kitchen. The cabinet doors under the sink were torn open as various cleaning supplies were emptied out with reckless abandon. "Keiko what are you doing? We need the charms that I've placed around this home!" Grandfather looked at the black garbage sack and quickly pulled out another stash of charms, sticking them on the walls.

"Father! We need weapons, not just protection. That _thing_ is after my daughter and I won't just sit back, twiddle my thumbs, and hope for the best! We need a battle plan!"

"We can't fight it Keiko! We simply are not strong enough against its heightened senses. It will be able to hear every move we make and smell even the slightest bit of fear! We're already taking a risk in staying here. If it weren't for my love of this home I'd have packed up this family and taken us somewhere safe!"

There was silence in the kitchen as Keiko looked shrewdly at her father. "Heightened senses."

"Yes!" Grandpa waved his arms around, a stack of sutras crumpling under one knobby fist. Something gleamed in Keiko's eyes, something sinister. Kagome stood behind the two opposing forces with her mouth agape.

Her mother had always been the picture perfect version of a traditional Japanese housewife. She was polite, demure, and didn't ask too many questions. She followed her father's words almost to a fault, and only ever raised her voice when she was trying to gain someone's attention from across the house.

But now Keiko Higurashi was first and foremost the General.

She held up a bottle of bleach like it was a bazooka. "He won't be able to smell the difference between a pile of shit and a rose garden when I'm through."

And they were going to war.

* * *

A/N: Go Kagome's mom! Mama Bear! Roar! Honestly it wasn't supposed to end up like this. But hey, I think it will be more entertaining with the added chapters.

Higurashi's vs. Inutaisho. FIGHT!

At this point who knows when this thing will ACTUALLY end. Hopefully at most will be five chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Heeyyy...guess who's back from the dead! Thanks for your patience people; just one more chapter to go and we can check this thing as complete!

* * *

Chapter Four

He had been gone a very, very long time.

Touga, newly released demon of immense power, raised his hands to the dawn and spread them wide. For the first time in nearly eight hundred years he was feeling the warmth of the sun again. The light brought a comfort like no other, a sharp, welcome contrast the all-consuming darkness of the sealing cage.

Before him the ocean surged, pulsing waves eating up the beach sand before being pulled back and under, overcome by yet another wave. The rhythmic crash was soothing his very soul, senses returned to him as every nuance of sound and smell came rushing back. The ocean salt was tingling against his nose, and the cool air was raising every fine hair along his arms and legs to little bumps, reaching for warmth.

His eyes sought out sights he'd been deprived of for centuries, both familiar and alien. The balance of the moon high in the sky even as the sun rose filled his heart with contentment, and the rocking motion of the water brought back memories in sharp relief. The grey-blue of the morning sky was slowly fading, taking with it the fog coating the horizon in mist, and his sharp eyes easily penetrated the disturbance to look out into the endless entity before him.

The ocean had always been something of an old friend. It reminded him of his own insignificance, humbled him in ways only nature could, and the vastness of it struck something deep in his bones. There was life deep beneath those waves, and as a world yet unexplored, it reminded him that he was only powerful in comparison to what he knew. In relation to the staggering vastness of the unknown, that was indeed very little.

But.

He was here now. He could learn anew. He could chase the clouds across the sky and fly up to the stars if he wanted and no one could stop him. The world he had come into was so different than the one he remembered—man had advanced so thoroughly that he almost couldn't believe his eyes. The cities…they were goliath. Buildings made of metal and steel so tall he had to crane his neck indefinitely to see the sights. How did they stay so upright? So straight, when the slightest shaking of the earth could topple them like a child's toy? Or had the earth simply stopped shaking?

So many questions. His mouth stretched into a grin that hadn't quite faded since coming out of the sword. He could find the answers now. He was _alive._

As the dawn slowly turned into the troubling twilight before day, he launched himself into the air, hovering just within the mists for coverage, flying over the choppy waves below him. In his right hand was his warden, the sentient cage that had held him fast for so many years. It pulsed with discontentment, fingers instinctively reaching like chains to drag him back into that black abyss, but it was no use. His grin turned into a wicked smirk; it had no power over him, not anymore.

Humans had always been clever little vermin. Their ability to take a twig and turn it into a something sharp and pointy when faced under dire circumstances was impressive. They liked to ignore their environment, but scare them, and suddenly everything was a weapon. And like a spider didn't need to be taught how to weave a web, humans didn't need to be taught how to use what they had to get what they wanted.

Was it any surprise then, that they'd managed to outwit a demon? With the sudden discovery of spiritual powers, humans had become a force of their own. The idea of being trapped in a cage for the rest of their existence scared most demons back into their hideaways, flinching at red and white. And as easy as they were to kill, humans still managed to drag one demon after another into artifacts until very little were left.

By the time they had come for Touga, only the extremely powerful had remained and it took them several tries before they finally got him. He still remembered the rage that had washed through him, the absolute fury as his entire body was forced into the shape of the blade. The pain as his heart stuttered in abject terror of what lay before him. Even deep within his prison, chains keeping his beast slumbering and his aura locked, he'd fought the urge to scream and weep. He'd fought everything, back in the early days. Certain, so _certain,_ that he was strong enough to force his way out.

He wasn't.

And hadn't that been difficult to swallow. He'd _always_ been strong enough, and if he wasn't immediately, then he always had the ability to advance. Not there. Not in that dismal place of shadows where he couldn't move see or smell. Desperation had nearly crushed him. He'd thought that he'd been doomed for eternity, stuck in a vile cocoon with no way back into a world he was aware of but couldn't interact with.

…and that's when it hit him.

Nearly a hundred years after his imprisonment and it was _just now_ occurring to him that yes, yes he could _feel_ the outside world. He could have kicked himself for his idiocy. A hundred years! A full century and he was only _now_ taking stock of his surroundings? He'd spent so much time consumed by grief and loneliness that he hadn't stopped to think logically about it at all. His father would have been ashamed!

 _He_ was ashamed, because he really could feel what was happening on the outside. It wasn't something easy to pinpoint, but once he felt it, it was impossible to ignore. He couldn't see or hear what was happening while he waiting inside that blasted sword, but he could…sense life. The different humans that handled him, the way he moved from owner to owner across the centuries. He knew when he had been drawn, knew when his own demonic power was used against his will as a weapon for the unworthy. And he thought…just had the idea pop in his head…that if he could sense what was happening, then surely, somehow, the world outside could sense him too.

And he was very right. If the human was sensitive enough, they could indeed feel the wrath that emanated from his very soul. They'd back away, and keep away, usually never appearing again. And a plan began to form at this point in time, as he slowly honed this new ability to project his emotions through the blade.

Logically, since it was a priest that sealed him, then it would have to be a priest that got him out, or some other human with spiritual abilities. So he needed to get wherever they were, and somehow convince them that it was a good idea to let him out. Even thinking that thought made him scoff. What kind of self-respecting priest or priestess would release an infuriated demon from a well-built cage?

But luck apparently was shining favor upon him, because as years passed humans apparently forgot all about demons and spiritual powers. Touga assumed that most of the demons had either been killed off or similarly sealed as he was, and that the lack of imminent danger left spiritual fighters in low demand. It was only natural that each generation was a little less trained than the last. And with how quickly humans were born, grew, and died, so many generations had passed. Spiritual manipulation was a dead art—he just _knew_ it.

Fortunately, he didn't need a trained human, he just need one that was powerful enough. Simply opening the blade with the intention of setting him free would work, and so many centuries had passed that even the iron bars trapping him were beginning to weaken. Not enough for him to break free, but just enough for him to influence the humans around him a little more.

It was difficult, to project the aura of danger without being utterly terrifying. To be scary enough to warrant protection without scaring the humans off so much they never came closer. There was a lot of trial and error over the years, but in the last fifty or so of his imprisonment he finally managed to influence an old man enough to take him to a shrine.

He'd been to a couple over the centuries, of course. But either they'd move him around to a 'safer' location, or the building would fall into obscurity. The shrines would burn, enemies attacking the religious unity of the country as humans waged their petty wars and he'd been drifting again, handed off from one human to another.

So here he was, in this shrine, somewhere in the world, when it happened. Life on this particular shrine was limited to only a few numbers, he suspected that it was run by a single family unit, but he felt it when a new life burst into existence.

The birth of this child marked the beginning of his hope. The aura was so bright it was blinding, the spiritual capacity almost overwhelming. _Freedom,_ it screamed, and he listened with an earnest ear.

The human, be it boy or girl, was easy to send messages to. They were attentive to the energies swirling around them, and Touga was almost disturbed to find that even though he wasn't sending out anything particularly malicious, the child seemed to instinctively know he was dangerous. There was always a good deal of distance between them, and if that little bright spot of energy came somewhat close, it wouldn't linger, skittering away from him as soon as it could.

It was… _incredibly_ frustrating. That his first real chance at getting out of the damned sword was smart enough to instinctually avoid him; it made him snarl.

So he switched tactics. There was another aura on the shrine that had a trace of spiritual abilities. Not enough to do him any good, but enough to connect with him. He started to toy with it, sending messages telepathically when it relaxed long enough to let him past its usual defenses. It wasn't like talking. It was more like sending pieces of your soul to one another, really. Things that were deeply emotional or significant were easily projected. His capture was the main focus of each of his messages, and the rage and despair that came with it.

And, curiously enough, he was getting messages back. He had no doubt it was subconscious as the images and emotions he was getting back were random, but they were there.

The things he got were…rather heartwarming actually. Mostly smiles, flashes of the people his human interacted with on a daily basis. There was a woman with short hair, almost boyish in its appearance, and she was always smiling. There was a young boy too, usually playing, and an old cat that Touga imagined was only loved grudgingly. He got snippets of the place he was kept, a wooden beam here or a weathered statue there that hinted at a great pride and affection for the shrine itself. But what most interested him were the flashes of dark, curling hair and bright, _bright_ blue eyes that came to him more often than not.

Touga knew that this was his priestess. That the girl with dazzling ocean eyes was the one that was going to free him. He didn't really know her features or her face, but he knew those eyes and that the man he was communicating with loved her dearly. All of his hopes centered on her, and from then on all his messages had a sense of anticipation coloring their hues.

And finally… _finally,_ things were put into action.

He knew the instant she touched him that it was happening. Knew the second that her small hand had connected with the worn case that it was going to be _today._ Today was the day he's be set free. Her purity was bright and it crashed against his cage, buffering it and testing its limits unknowingly. She was strong. Unbelievably so, and in the confines of his prison Touga began to laugh because there was just _no way_ she wouldn't be able to break the spell.

Unable to move when all he wanted to do was get up and _run_ was a new kind of torture. The anticipation of a well-awaited event was going to kill him, and somewhere in the back of his mind there was a niggling doubt that maybe, just maybe, they'd change their mind. That she'd have a sudden dart of insight, stop the ceremony he could feel mounting around him, and take him back to the place he was kept.

But she didn't. She was relaxed, maybe even bored, and for a moment he wondered if this disinterested state was going to be enough to break him free. She was powerful, of course, but if she didn't pinpoint any of that power then it simply wouldn't work.

And then she straightened, up, took a half a second's interest, and he was nearly blown back by the intensity of her focus.

His world of darkness exploded into brilliant hues of blue and pink, shimmering with power and light. Tendrils of pure white wove themselves through the spells that kept him captive, wrapping around the bars keeping him there, and _pulled._

 _"_ _I release you."_

And the cage broke. Torn apart. Utterly decimated. He heard her voice as a booming echo in his ears, the first one he'd heard in _eight hundred years._ The darkness was chased away, leaving him in a mellow world of shifting blue, twinkling in the aftermath. He floating there, stunned. He was…free. _Free._

He savored the moment, letting it wash over him. In that moment _he_ was the sword, and he felt it, closer than ever, when she lifted the blade from the case. When she began to slide it out of its sheath, he finally came to his senses. He _leapt_ out of the prison. And he did it with so much force that he crashed into her, sending them both sprawling over a floor as he dazedly let sensation wash over him. Sight, sound, smell, touch…he could taste the air that lingered with remaining power, sizzling.

And as he stared down into her—beautiful, exotic, _wondrous—_ face, his mind kicked into high gear.

She was untrained yes, but that didn't mean she couldn't seal him back into that damned thing. With the amount of power she had, she could just _think_ of him being tied down again and it would be so. He had to escape such chance, and there were only a few options.

The first was to kill her. She represented the worst threat he'd encountered, and it would be easy to go for her throat. But as soon as the thought occurred he tossed it out of his mind. He couldn't kill her; he was already attached. Had been since she was born because he knew she was going to be the one to free him. She had been his salvation—like hell he was going to spit in her face for it.

The other option was to run. He didn't know what kind of world he'd come into but he was certain that he could disappear into it. He could take the sword, cast if off somewhere where no one could find it and stuff him back into it. Demons were tied to their sealing cages, so either he was going to be sealed back into _this_ one, or none at all. He could hide the thing where no one could find it, and he'd be free for the rest of his life.

This idea appealed to him the most. Hell, once he got his feet under him, learned how to move in this new time and place, he might even come back to thank her. Tell her how amazing it is to be free, give her a gift a gratitude, _something—_

There was a noise and it was terrifying. Something grinding and loud, and to his ears so unused to sound, it was so alien that his heart skipped a beat.

He yanked her up to his chest, instinctively trying to guard her from whatever monster had made the sound…and then she screamed.

The series of events that happened afterwards were rather entertaining. He was aware of the family behind them both, knew that they were moving to help her, but he was more interested in the panicked expression on her face. The fact that she could barely lift a sword that he could balance on his pinky amused him greatly, but any sort of warm, fuzzy emotion abruptly left when it started to glow pink.

Like he'd thought, the mere perception of a threat and her powers had reacted. She wanted him gone, and her abilities and the sword were conspiring to make it happen. If he didn't move, if he didn't do _something_ then he was going to be sucked right back into that thing, with no way of knowing if he'd ever come out again.

 _"_ _NO!"_

He lunged. The power was building, and he could feel it crackling against his skin as the chains began to reform around him. Soon, they'd yank him back into that darkness, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how crushing that would be. Terror and rage fueled him, and by the time he'd gotten to her, he had a plan.

Knocking the sword out of her hands wasn't going to work. The spell had already been activated, he could feel it tugging at the edges of his senses, and casting it away would only scare her more and ensure he'd be back where he started.

Since killing her was also out, he settled on the only other option.

Touga kissed her.

Humans may have found a way to seal demons, but his kind were not idiots. They'd found a way, just like humans, to ensure their safety. And in this case it meant becoming a familiar. It wasn't a dignified position to be in, tying yourself to a human and allowing yourself to do their bidding. The laws of the spell were unfairly tipped towards the weaker being, and doing so would ensure that he'd _have_ to be close to her.

But there were benefits. Before such an act, _any_ human with a spiritual inclination could seal a demon. But becoming a familiar meant that the only person who could do you harm was the one you were tied to. He'd only have to worry about _her,_ and no one else.

Doing this…it would be a new kind of prison unto itself. But between that and the very real threat humming to live at his side, Touga knew which one he preferred. So he kissed her. He kissed her hard and in earnest and kept his eyes wide and calculated to see if it worked. She could still seal him, technically, but he was hoping the shock of a sudden binding to her system would distract her from doing just that.

 _I am yours,_ his mind screamed, his aura surging to make the thought binding. _I am yours for eternity._

Her eyes (they were so _blue_ ) shot open in surprise, and the world suddenly seemed so much less. Her spiritual presence, which had expanded to encompass the entire room abruptly flickered out of existence, leaving the air raw and crackling. The sword, so ready to eat him whole, stilled and went dead, returning to cold unfeeling steel and nothing more.

There was that noise again, the one that had scared him straight into battle instincts before, but he was far too focused on her to give it more than a passing thought.

As the seconds ticked by with nothing but the squawking of her family to fill the silence, Touga allowed himself to hope. Had he…had he done it? Had he made it in time? She tried to tug away from him, but still high on adrenaline and uncertainty, Touga wouldn't let her. She was going stay right where she was, and he would make sure of it until he knew, _for sure,_ that his plan had worked.

She didn't really like that idea. And he could tell because her energies suddenly rose up in a wall of indignant rage that he nearly cowered under. It was powerful, almost as powerful as his own, and though he could overcome her it was the sword's reaction that scared him the most. It started to stir once again, humming back to life.

He was so focused on the imminent problem and how stop it that he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden burst of movement and pain.

For almost a millisecond, too fast for the rest of him to process, he'd thought she was going to _reciprocate_ the kiss. Her soft mouth had opened in invitation, sucking his lower lip between blunt teeth, and…and then bit down.

 _Hard._

 _Ow._

Now that, that made more sense. He pulled back with a gasp, so startled that he completely forgot about the sword. The fact that she'd called him a dog of all things poked at long suppressed feeling of hysteria. Because he was a dog, and this entire situation was almost too much to take. Bringing up a hand, he prodded the abused flesh, licking up a bead of blood that she'd drawn. Her eyes were crackling with lightning, and even though her rage quickly dissipated under his stare, he could help but smile.

 _She'd bit him._ Like a child! It was hilarious! And not only that, but his plan had _worked_! He could feel that the binding had been successful, and under a heady rush of emotions victory rose the surface. He rode on that high of emotions for a moment, letting her see the viciousness of his regard on his face, before a thought occurred to him.

She'd bitten him…fair's fair, wasn't it?

Twisting her hand so she dropped that hellish sword, he used both his hands to frame her face and drag her towards him.

This kiss was purely for him. For his victory, for his joy, for his appreciation. He wanted sensation, he wanted to _feel_ someone close to him again. After all that time alone, after all those years sitting in solitary confinement, just being around another living breathing being was going to cut it. An embrace wasn't going to cut it either.

He wanted intimacy, and he was going to take it. For all intents and purposes, _he_ belonged to _her,_ but she didn't need to know that. She didn't need to know the particulars of their new relationship. And as his lips crashed to hers, forcing them open and reveling in the sense of closeness he was getting from her, in the uncertain fluttering of hands on his body, and in the attractive squeak she'd made, he decided that he probably wouldn't ever tell her. As far as he was concerned, _she_ belonged to _him._

 _This one is mine,_ he thought gleefully. He'd protect her, since she was his. He'd protect her because he needed something to protect. He would treasure this spark of pure luck that fate had seen to drop into his lap, this fire that had torn apart his prison. And may hell have mercy on the soul that would come between him and her, because he wouldn't.

Parting only long enough to see her face, which was flushed in an amusing mix of confusion and excitement, he dipped back down and gently nipped at her lower lip. His teeth were each tapered to points, so he was careful, but not so careful that it wouldn't sting just a little. She deserved it, after drawing blood, and he was feeling playful.

He caught her startled expression before he scooped up the sword and bolted. He wasn't going to give her volatile purity another chance to activate the seal, not before he got rid of the thing.

Rushing outside nearly caused him to trip. The wall of scents he ran into was thick and pungent and not entirely pleasant. They were the smells of a world unknown, and through the cloying smog that churned through the air he turned his nose to the wind and picked up the scent of the ocean. That was the best place to abandon this old relic. He didn't intend to tell her exactly where he was going to hide the sword, but even if he did he doubted that she'd be able to get to it.

And that's what he was doing now. Flying low over the waves and waiting until he felt he was far enough out to drop the sword. It had taken him nearly a week to reach the coast even though he could have done it in a few days. He kept getting distracted by the sights around him, and since he was free, he'd indulged in every whim that came to him. Every single one.

But he was finally here, and with the future stretching out before him, Touga found that he wasn't dreading returned to the priestess with the blue eyes. He had a long life, what was a few years spent with her? _Not only that,_ his mind murmured, _but she is beautiful._

Touga would admit that her being the first thing he saw was a pretty sweet occurrence. She was indeed a beautiful creature, and he hadn't had feminine companionship for a long while, even before he'd been sealed. Unlike most of his kind, he didn't find humans repulsive, even taking a few lovers over the years. Licking his lips, Touga grinned. Kissing her had been more than enjoyable, and he had no qualms about seducing her the second he got back. He didn't care that it was abrupt—he'd been cooped up in a sword for a near millennium. He'd do damn well whatever he pleased, and it would _please_ him to have a little fun.

 _Dog indeed, priestess,_ he thought smiling.

But first, this errand. Slowing to a stop midair, Touga lifted the blade that had been the bane of his existence and studied it carefully. He'd never gotten a chance to really look at the thing before he was sealed inside of it, and wondered at the craftsmanship. It was rather odd looking, and faintly echoed the styles a demonic culture long past. The crystal was especially strange. A light frown on his lips, he gave a small shrug and began to draw on his _youki._

The energy pulsed viciously, and as if sensing its doom, the sword rattled in its sheath. Touga could tell it was angry and he reveled in the turn of tables. Drawing his hand back and looking into the unwelcoming depths of the blue-black sea, the sun just cresting over the far mountains, he felt it was only justice that the sword be eternally left to shadows like he had.

"Your turn, hell sword."

And he thrust it down, using a burst of _youki_ to aid in the power behind the motion. The blade, sheath and all, rocketed downwards with a scream of power. The water erupted around it, creating a mighty splash, but the sword didn't stop. It didn't even slow down. Air bubbles exploded all around as it cut through the water going deeper and deeper.

Down, down, down, deeper and darker into the ocean it went until it smashed itself into the rocky ocean floor below. With his _youki_ still surrounding it, Touga could faintly feel it so far below him that the sensation was dulled. He'd thrown with such force that it was anchored securely into the rocky silt below, and it wouldn't be coming out anytime soon.

Pleased with himself, Touga turned and flew back towards land. For the rest of the priestess's life, he was going to be there. Might as well hunker down, make himself comfortable, and find a friend in the household. It was his home now as much as it was hers.

* * *

A/N: To those of you who have seen Kami-sama Kiss, the whole 'kiss to get a familiar' thing should be pretty recognizable. I definitely got the idea from the anime, but I'm not going to be completely sticking with all the rules that they had. If you haven't seen that particular anime, its super cute! As for Touga immediately going for the idea of sex...well i imagine if I was cooped up in a sword for eight hundred years and finally got out, I'd be pretty desperate for human contact too. He's feels the same way-just taking a step or two further than the rest of us. Hope you liked it!


End file.
